If Evil Wasn't Made
by SnowingShipper
Summary: Just one night can change the fate of an entire realm. Cora made a mistake the night Regina had planned to leave with her fiancé and now Regina, Daniel and little Snow are on the run across the kingdom. AU after Fairytale Land, "The Stable Boy."
1. The Night that Changed it All

**This story is AU after the events of "The Stable Boy" in the Enchanted Forest. Thank you so much to my Beta, Mere-Brennan.**

Regina pulled her coat tightly around her against the bitter chill of the night air. As she walked towards the stables, her heart was full of both dread and excitement. The chance of beginning a new life with the man she loved was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to her, but she knew how desperate her mother was for her to marry the king. She was terrified that, as carefully constructed as their plan was, something was going to go wrong.

Shaking off her doubts, she slipped into the stables. Her horse gave a soft whinny of affection as he saw her. Regina reached out a hand and ran it through the horse's mane.

"Hey Rocinante," she whispered softly as she got out the saddle. "We're going on a trip, okay? We're going far, far away from here to somewhere where we can be happy."

Riding had always been her passion. It was her one opportunity to escape her mother, if only for a few hours, and she was almost as skilled as Daniel in caring for horses, so she made quick work of tacking up Rocinante. She had just finished fastening the girth when she heard footsteps behind her.

Regina's stomach dropped. It was all she could do not to shake in fear as she anticipated the magic vines that she was sure would soon bind her tightly, and what Cora would surely do to Daniel.

"Regina?"

To her surprise, the voice that spoke her name was not that of her mother, so she turned slowly. Keeping a tight grip on Rocinante's reigns, she saw King Leopold stood before her, dressed in a brown hooded cloak with a concerned look in his eyes.

"Regina?" he asked again, looking her over as she stood in terror. There was no way to deny what she was so obviously doing in the stables in the middle of the night. "You are going somewhere?"

"I. . . well. . . I. . ." Regina stuttered, tears forming in her eyes and threatening to spill down her cheeks. She felt all of her dreams and hope for the future come crashing down around her.

"Regina," the king sighed sadly. "It's alright. You are a young woman and I could tell that you were never as enthusiastic about my proposal as your mother was. I hoped that you could maybe change your mind, but I suspected that something like this might happen."

"I am sorry, Your Highness," Regina whispered, bowing her head. "I do not love you and I can't marry someone I don't love."

Leopold nodded. "It's alright," he said again. "I wished desperately, above all, for a good mother for my daughter and I truly believe that you would be a wonderful mother. However, I would rather you go and be happy with the man you love than that you should be miserable with Snow and I."

"I never. . .never said. . ."

"You didn't have to. It is the stable boy, correct? I could see it in your eyes when you looked at him. It is the same look that Eva and I held for each other. As wonderful a wife and mother as you would make, you deserve to have someone look at you like that, and I fear I would never be able to. Go Regina. Go and good luck to you."

Regina impulsively threw her arms around the king's neck, allowing a few tears to spill in her relief. "Oh thank you, Your Majesty!" She whispered. "Thank you so much! You will be a great husband for someone one day and I hope that you find a good mother for Snow."

Any reply that Leopold may have intended to make was lost in a guttural choking noise. Regina gasped as she pulled back to see a pained look on the king's face and her mother stood behind him, a pulsing heart in her hand. As the king fell to the floor, Regina dropped to her knees beside him.

"Mother!"

"I will not allow you to throw your life away like this, Regina. You are better than this, you are above this stable boy," Cora hissed as she squeezed the heart that she held.

"Mother, wait!" Regina's cries fell on deaf ears. She watched in horror as the king's heart was turned to ash.

Regina turned back to Leopold just in time to watch the life leave his eyes as his body went limp in her arms.

"Mother," Regina said softly in disbelief. "What have you done?"

Closing his eyes gently with her fingertips and saying a silent blessing for his soul, Regina lay the king's lifeless body down and stood up, allowing Cora to see his face for the first time.

Cora gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "That's. . .that's. . .you tricked me!" Cora screeched, pointing an accusing finger at Regina.

"No Mother! No, I didn't!" Regina insisted, backing toward the stable door and bringing Rocinante with her.

"I was supposed to kill that lowlife stable boy! You were supposed to be Queen!"

Cora was still staring in shock and disbelief at the king's lifeless body. Regina realised that this was absolutely her last chance of escape. Taking advantage of her mother's distraction, she threw herself into the saddle and gave Rocinante a kick that made him fly out of the stable. Her first intention was to gallop through the grounds as fast as she could to her agreed meeting place with Daniel, and to get away from here as fast as possible. However, as she approached the main house, her thoughts turned to Snow White. The poor child, barely eight years old, was now an orphan and Regina realised, with a sinking heart, that there was no way she could leave the little girl here alone.

Pulling Rocinante to a halt, she ran inside the house. Terror pulsed through her as the already small chance of escape grew slimmer every second that she wasn't running. Bursting into Snow's chambers, she shook the child awake.

"Snow! Snow!" She cried frantically. "Get up! We've got to go!"

Snow's eyes snapped open and she looked up at Regina in fear and confusion. "Regina? What's going on?"

"I can't explain now, but we have to get away from here," Regina insisted desperately, gripping Snow's arm and helping her out of the bed. "Come on! It's not safe."

"Where's my father?" Snow asked, looking at Regina through bleary eyes.

"I can't explain, yet. Please Snow! Come on!"

Every moment that they spent inside the manor, was another moment that she expected her mother to come through the door. She couldn't bear to imagine what she would do to her.

"Rosella!" Snow cried out as Regina pulled her towards the door, reaching fiercely towards her bed to the doll that lay on the covers.

Regina snatched up the doll before she ran back through the halls to the main door, holding Snow's hand tightly.

Snow was in hysterics and Regina couldn't blame her. At that moment, all she felt like doing was crying, too. There was no sign of her mother as they left the house, but this only put Regina more on edge, as she feared a trap may have been set.

"I'm not getting on that horse," Snow sobbed.

"I know you're scared Snow," Regina said, trying to hide the terror in her voice. "But you have to get on the horse. Rocinante is lovely and he won't hurt you. I won't let you get hurt, okay? I promise."

Snow nodded, though her tears continued to fall as Regina helped her onto the saddle. She swung herself up behind the small girl and smiled weakly as she set Rocinante moving.

"Everything will be okay," she said, though she wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure Snow or herself.

"Regina!" Daniel cried as they rode up to the path leading away from the Mills' House. "I thought. . ." He trailed off as he noticed the teary child sat on the saddle in front of her.

"Daniel! Run!" Regina yelled, barely slowing down as they approached him.

It was clear that something had gone very wrong, so Daniel turned his own horse and flew after Regina. At every moment, they both expected Cora to appear. Regina could almost feel the binds that she was sure would wrap tightly around her at any second, but none came. Regina could scarcely believe that her mother hadn't caught them, but she had far too much on her mind to question their good fortune as they finally broke past the boundaries of the grounds and raced away to their freedom.

Behind a tree, along the path, Rumpelstiltskin watched them go, a beaming smile on his face. He turned around to see Cora searching, becoming increasingly frantic and confused, as she was unable to perceive the presence of the escapees. This widened Rumpelstiltskin's grin. The power of his magic never ceased to thrill him and it renewed his confidence that his plan would work.

"I told you I'd have that child, Cora darling," he whispered gleefully. "And now I have her just where I want her. I'm going to get my son back."


	2. Everything Will Be Alright

**Thank you to everyone who has favourited/followed/reviewed this story. I'm on a bit of a OUAT high because Ginnifer Goodwin tweeted me in the AskOnce last night so here's another chapter for you. Thanks again to my amazing Beta, Mere-Brennan!**

**Oh, and a quick note, I've made Snow a little younger than she is in the OUAT cannon, so she's about 8 in this fic.**

"Regina!" Daniel called as he sped up his horse to ride alongside her. "Regina, we have to take a break!"

Regina shook her head determinedly. "We're too close."

"Regina!" Daniel called again. "We have to take a break. We're all exhausted, and if she hasn't come after us yet, I don't think she's going to."

Regina wanted to argue that even though they were far outside of the borders of her home, they were still too close for her to feel entirely safe, but she could see Daniel's point. She'd been pushing Rocinante hard and, although Snow was small, the additional weight still made it even more of a struggle for the horse. Sighing, Regina slowed to a walk and then stopped. "Okay," she conceded. "We'll take a break."

Daniel jumped down from his horse's back and came across to help Snow down from Rocinante. The small child was pale and her eyes showed her weariness and bewilderment. Daniel gave Snow a soft kiss on the forehead as he placed her on the ground. "It's going to be okay, Snow," he assured her, and the girl gave him a weak smile.

A stream flowed nearby and they led the horses over to it. Cupping her hands, Regina scooped up some water and drank it eagerly, as Daniel did the same beside her. Turning around, Regina saw Snow looking at them in confusion.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a small, quiet voice.

"Having some water," Regina responded, puzzled by the girl's question.

Snow's eyes widened. "From the stream?" she questioned in disbelief, and it was only then that Regina remembered the sheltered life that the young princess must have led; which surely didn't involve drinking from anything less than a gold goblet.

"Yes, it's perfectly good. Come and I'll show you," Regina told her, gesturing to the space beside her.

Snow looked unconvinced but, nevertheless, moved to kneel beside Regina and copied her actions, cupping her own hands and bringing the water to her lips.

"See?" Regina asked with a smile, and Snow smiled back at her.

"It is good," Snow agreed, sounding slightly surprised.

She scooped up another gulp of water, then yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"I'm tired, Regina. Can we please go home now?"

Regina paled as she remembered the secret that she was keeping from the little girl and quickly shook her head.

"No, it's. . .it's dangerous. Something bad happened at my house and we have to stay away. But Daniel and I will keep you safe. Don't worry Snow, it'll be okay."

Both Daniel and Regina had said this to her now, but it seemed to Snow that neither really believed their words. Crossing her arms, Snow pouted at them with all the attitude and stubbornness that an eight-year-old could muster.

"I don't like the woods and I don't want you. I want my father!"

Regina looked desperately over at Daniel who, having no more knowledge or experience of small children than Regina did, merely shrugged his shoulders and looked worried.

"Snow," Regina began, striving to keep her voice level and calm, and not allow it to betray her panic. "Your father can't be here and I'm sorry for that. He said that he loves you very much, more than anything in all the realms. He wants you to be kept safe and we're going to keep you safe okay?"

Snow was less than convinced as she glanced around the trees. "The woods aren't safe. There are wolves out here."

"Yes, but we won't let any wolves harm you." Regina stood up and placed her hands on Snow's shoulders. "I know you're frightened, Snow. I'm frightened and I want to go home too, but we can't right now. Everything will be alright though, I promise."

Snow wrapped her arms around Regina's waist and Regina gently rubbed circles on Snow's back. Daniel came to stand beside them and placed a reassuring hand on Regina's shoulder.

An hour later, Daniel had started a fire and Snow was fast asleep on Regina's lap. Her little doll, Rosella, was clutched in her arms, and she was still shivering despite the heat from the fire and Daniel's thick cloak that was draped over her.

"The nights are only going to get colder," Daniel said, as Regina removed her cloak and wrapped the sleeping child in that too, cursing herself for not grabbing Snow's own cloak from her bedroom. "We're going to need to find somewhere to stay. You and I might have managed a few weeks sleeping rough in the forest, but if you're going to bring an eight-year-old in her nightgown, this all gets far more complicated."

Regina sighed as she brushed Snow's hair from her face. "I know, but I couldn't just leave her there."

"What happened Regina?" he asked, moving to sit beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Tears filled Regina's eyes again at the memory. "She thought he was you. The King, he. . .he caught me about to leave in the stables and I was terrified, but he told me to go. He said he knew I was in love with you, not him and he wanted me to be happy. I have never been so relieved in my entire life so I. . .I hugged him."

Daniel pulled Regina closer and kissed her head as she cried harder.

"Oh Daniel! Daniel, it was awful! I don't know how, but somehow my mother found out about the two of us and she wanted. . .wanted to kill you. She came out to the stables and saw me hugging Leopold and she thought he was you and she. . .she. . ."

Regina trailed off, her body shaking with sobs. Tears began to form in Daniel's own eyes as he looked down at the pale, sleeping child, imagining the inevitable conclusion of Regina's story.

"She ripped his heart out of his chest and crushed it," Regina whispered. "And then she accused me of tricking her. Snow's father is dead and my mother is ready to kill us all. Oh, Daniel! I don't know what to do!"

Daniel held Regina tightly in his arms as she wept onto his shoulder. "Shh, Gina. It's okay. I won't let her hurt you or Snow, I promise. We knew this was going to be hard, but we'll get through it. We'll find a way. Everything's going to be alright."

**Thanks for reading, please review!**


	3. Tears and Revelations

**As has just been pointed out to me, I absolutely screwed up posting my chapters. This is the real chapter three which accidentally got skipped over I'm sorry for the confusion!**

"I'm hungry!" Snow whined. Regina glared at her in exasperation.

"I've told you, Snow. I'm doing my best, but it'll take as long as it takes!"

Regina stared down in frustration at the fish she was trying to gut. She was regretting her earlier thoughts toward Snow's sheltered upbringing as, truthfully, hers had been much the same. Cooking had seemed easy when she'd watched Bessie do it, but the reality was much more difficult.

Daniel watched from where he'd started the fire, a smirk on his face. "Are you still sure you don't want any help?"

Regina glared at him ferociously. "I can do it!" she snapped. "For goodness sake, it's a fish! How hard can it be?"

"No she can't, Daniel, and I'm hungry!" Snow chimed in and Regina glared at her again.

"It's pretty tough if you don't know what you're doing, actually," Daniel said, walking over to the two women. "Will you at least let me show you how and you can do the next one?"

Giving the fish one last furious glance, she threw up her hands in defeat.

"Fine!" She exclaimed, sitting down next to Snow. "You can just build the fire, and catch the fish, and gut the fish, and cook the breakfast; and I'll just sit over here being neither use nor ornament."

Daniel chuckled. "Of course you're useful, and I can teach you to do all those things easily enough. Besides," he continued with a grin. "You are most certainly ornamental."

Regina couldn't help but laugh, and Daniel bent down to kiss her. Snow wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"I'm hungry!" She complained again. "You said we could have breakfast an hour ago!"

"Half an hour," Regina argued as she reluctantly pulled back from the kiss. "Just be patient."

Snow huffed and rested her chin against her knees. Regina shook her head and moved over to where Daniel was fixing her disastrous fish gutting attempts.

Fifteen minutes later, Regina had some idea of what she was doing and had managed to gut two of the fish that were now, much to Snow's delight, finally being cooked over the fire. Daniel took one of the fish off and, handing it to Snow, showed her how to pull the meat from the bone with her fingers.

The fish was delicious and they were all hungry so, for a few minutes, they simply savoured their food and forgot their troubles. However, they were abruptly reminded of just how bad things were when, having finished eating, Snow discarded the fish skin and turned to Daniel.

"Thank you, that was very nice, but I don't like it here and I want to go home to my father."

"Uh. . .I. . .uh. . ." Daniel flashed a panic filled glance across to Regina, who returned it with as much worry and no more idea of what would be best to do.

When no one responded, Snow became angry and jumped to her feet. "I am the Princess of this kingdom and I demand that you take me back to my father, at once!" She yelled.

"Snow! Snow!" Regina pleaded, darting distressed eyes around the forest clearing and fully expecting her mother to come out from between the trees. "Snow, please keep your voice down."

"Why?" Snow asked. "What's going on?"

"Listen, Snow," Regina said, standing up to go lay a comforting hand on the young girl's shoulder. "I didn't tell you everything last night because I didn't want to upset you, but I need to tell you the truth now. I think you need to understand what's happening."

Snow nodded and Regina gently guided her to sit down on a rock, trying desperately to think up how she was supposed to explain everything to an eight year old. She considered lying, or at least hiding parts of the truth, but quickly rejected the idea. She wanted to keep the child safe but, unless Snow knew the whole story, she would never understand why they were running, or why she couldn't return home.

Daniel came to sit down on Snow's other side and Regina smiled at him, grateful for his moral support, as she launched into her story.

"Snow, do you remember when I told you not to tell anyone about me and Daniel, especially not my mother?"

Snow's eyes filled with tears as she looked away from Regina and nodded. Regina looked at her in concern. Wrapping an arm tightly around her shoulders, Regina continued.

"I told you that, because my mother. . .she's not a good person."

Snow turned her head to look up at Regina. "She's not all bad," she protested in a small voice. "She can't be. She loves you, she just wants you to be happy."

Regina shook her head. "No, Snow. I wished for a long time that that could be true, but it's not. My mother cares only for power, and she would rather that I were powerful and miserable than poor and happy."

Snow shook her head, tears pouring down her face. Regina's words couldn't be true- she knew they couldn't. She'd heard what Cora said. She only wanted to be close to her daughter and make her happy. Regina just didn't understand.

"You don't understand, Regina! She does want you to be happy! I know she does, she told me!"

"What?" Regina asked in shock.

"She told me. She said that she felt she was losing you and that she just wanted to know how to make you happy again."

Regina stayed silent for a moment as she processed this information, shaking her head as she recognised the signs of her mother's manipulation.

"What did you tell her Snow?"

Snow said nothing and Regina lost her temper.

"What did you tell her?" she snapped, causing the girl to descend into hysterical sobs.

"Regina!" Daniel exclaimed in surprise, pulling the little girl into his own arms. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm sorry, Snow," Regina half whispered. "I didn't mean to yell."

Daniel looked at her over the top of Snow's head; concern and confusion clear in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said again. "I. . .uh. . .I. . .don't know what came over me."

She did. Despite all her attempts not to be, she was her mother's daughter and that response, screaming if she wasn't answered immediately, was Cora through and through. Daniel caught on to her train of thought from the obvious pain in her eyes and shook his head.

"You are not your mother, Regina," he said firmly and Regina looked at him through tear stained eyes, marveling at how well he knew her.

"I'm sorry," she repeated and, this time, Snow pulled herself away from Daniel to look up at the woman.

"It's okay," she said, and Regina smiled at her.

"Oh Snow," she whispered running her hand over Snow's hair and Snow began to cry again. "Snow? Snow, what's wrong?"

"I was bad," she said quietly. "Really bad. I disobeyed you, and I broke my promise."

"Oh Snow," Regina said again, beginning to realise what had happened.

"I told her about you and Daniel. I know you said not to, but I. . .she said she was losing you, and I. . .I didn't want you to lose your mother. Not like I lost mine. I'm so sorry!"

Regina pulled Snow into her arms as she began to sob, her own heart breaking at the revelation. Part of her was furious. Snow had promised her she wouldn't tell, and her disobedience could easily have gotten Daniel killed. Then rationality took over, and Regina realised that Daniel hadn't been killed, King Leopold had. Snow, a little girl, had lost her father in the act of trying to spare Regina the pain of losing her mother. A pain the child knew too well.

"Snow, it's okay. It's really okay. Everything that happened, that was because of my mother, not you. None of this was your fault."

"What did happen?" Snow asked, and Regina's stomach somersaulted as she remembered she hadn't told her. How could she tell her?

"My mother wants me to be the Queen, but, to do that, she would have to get rid of Daniel, and so. . .she tried to kill him. Only. . .only. . ." Regina trailed off and closed her eyes. "Your father had come out to see me, and my mother. . .she. . .she made a mistake."

"No," Snow whispered, wide eyed as she shook her head.

"Snow, I am so, so sorry. But listen to me. Your father has gone from this world, but he'll be happy because he will get to see your mother. I know it's hard for you because you're the one who's left behind, but they'll always be with you. They'll be with you in your heart because they loved you so much, and a love like that is unending. It transcends time and space and realms and, wherever they are, you will always be connected to them because they love you and you love them. Daniel and I will be here for you. I know we're not your parents and it's not the same, but we love you and we'll look after you. Won't we, Daniel?"

"Of course," Daniel said, wiping a tear from his eye and rubbing Snow's back. "We'll always be here for you."

Snow's sobs increased and she wrapped her arms tighter around Regina's neck. Daniel moved closer to them and wrapped his arms around both Regina and Snow, laying a soft kiss on Snow's head.

Regina's tears flew as fast and free as Snow's now, and Daniel began to cry too, his heart breaking to think of the pain they were both feeling.

"It will be okay," he said quietly. For the first time, he believed the words that he said; because he loved Regina and he loved Snow and, he promised himself, he would allow no harm to come to his new little family.


	4. A Place for the Night

**A/N As has just been pointed out to me, I have absolutely screwed up posting this story and managed to skip over chapter three so if you've been reading this story before you should go back and check that one out. I'm so sorry for the confusion!**

**A/N ****Hi everyone! I'm so sorry that I've disappeared for a few weeks. Coursework and some other issues got on top of me for a while but hopefully I should be updating more regularly from now on. Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favourited or followed this story and, as always, thank you so much to my amazing beta Mere-Brennan! **

The day's ride had been an unpleasant one. Snow had alternated between crying bitterly and being eerily silent and both Daniel and Regina were at a loss of what to do. Their concern only increased as they noticed the sun beginning to drop behind the hills. They realised that they would soon need to find somewhere to stay for the night.

"We can't sleep out in the open again," Daniel remarked worriedly as he rode up beside Regina.

"Then what, Daniel? Neither of us have family or friends to stay with. We really didn't think this through."

"Regina, it's going to be okay. As long as we have each other and Snow, we'll work it out. At the next village we come to, we'll see if there's someone that will give us a bed for the night. There's bound to be a farm where I could help out with the animals and you could collect eggs in exchange for a bed. At the very least, someone might take pity on Snow."

Regina nodded. She knew that that would only solve their problems for one night, but she was inclined to take things one day at a time right now. Trying to think about all of their problems and the difficult days that lay ahead was liable to drive her crazy.

However, although their plan was sound, there were not so many villages as they had imagined there would be, and it was long after nightfall by the time they found one.

They stopped their horses and debated what to do. They couldn't go knocking on doors in the middle of the night asking for a bed. They'd be driven out of the village by a furious mob, but they were all exhausted and, Snow especially, couldn't go much further.

"There's a stable," Daniel noticed suddenly. Regina looked at him like he'd lost his mind.

"So?"

"We can sleep there."

"A stable? Seriously? We can't go breaking into someone's stable in the middle of the night."

"Why not? It's not as though we're going to hurt their animals. We'll just get a good nights sleep then we'll leave at dawn and no one need ever know we were there."

"What if they come out early?"

"Snow's liable to catch pneumonia if we make her sleep outside again."

Regina glared at him, realising that he had undoubtedly won the argument. "Okay, the stable it is."

Having put their horses out of sight round the back, and fed them with some of the grain they'd brought with them, the three of them crept quietly into the stable, with Snow almost asleep in Daniel's arms. Regina wrinkled her nose as they walked inside.

"Oh gods! That is disgusting!" She hissed and Daniel gave a low chuckle.

"I warned you that the life of a stable boy was far from that of royalty."

"You never warned me about the smell," Regina countered. "I mightn't have come if I'd known."

"Oh really?" Daniel asked with a smirk, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him. "Well, I'd love to provide you with a lavender scented bath but I think I smell much nicer."

Regina giggled and rested her head against his shoulder. "You do," she assured him with a smile. Snow groaned and shifted in Daniel's arms, rubbing her eyes.

"Papa, I'm sleepy. What's happening?" the young girl grumbled sleepily, and Daniel and Regina exchanged a panicked look.

"Uh. . .It's Daniel, sweetheart, remember? Daniel and Regina. We're just finding somewhere to sleep for the night."

"Daniel?" the girl repeated. "Oh, hello Daniel."

"Hello honey," he said with a smile. "It's okay, we're going to get some sleep now."

Finding an empty stall, Regina wrapped the girl up in her cloak and then tucked the hay all around her. Snow pulled a face once or twice but, too sleepy to really protest the smell or the hay, she fell quickly into an exhausted slumber.

Pulling the hay up around them, Regina curled into Daniel's side. "We need to find somewhere to live," She murmured. "And jobs. And we need new clothes for Snow. That nightgown's filthy and she's freezing in it."

"I know," Daniel agreed. "But we can worry about all that tomorrow. Just get some sleep Gina, love."

"Goodnight Daniel, I love you."

"Night Gina, I love you too."

The sun had barely begun to rise when Snow woke up, itchy and uncomfortable. Frowning in annoyance, she turned over to call for Johanna to come and fix whatever horrible thing had happened to her bed. As she turned, she caught sight of Regina and Daniel sleeping in the hay, and the events of the last few days came rushing back to her. She wasn't in bed, and Johanna was miles and miles away at the palace. She began to cry again as she remembered, but then she sat up, rubbed her eyes and forced herself to stop. She recalled what her mother had said before she died, that Snow had to be strong because everyone would look to her. She didn't have a whole kingdom of subjects looking to her this time, but she decided that she could at least be strong for Regina and Daniel; and for herself.

Getting up, she brushed the hay from her clothes and knotted Regina's cloak at her neck deciding that, so long as Regina and Daniel were sleeping, she would go and explore. She held Regina's cloak, which was far too long for her, bunched up around her waist so she wouldn't trip and crept out of the stable door.

The stable was some way removed from the main part of the village, but Snow could see a large collection of houses in the distance, and a small cottage nearer to where she was. She crept toward it quietly and stared at it in awe. It was far from the grandeur that she was used to, but the little wooden cottage with honeysuckle growing around it and pretty flowers by the door was as beautiful as a castle to Snow. Looking around, Snow was delighted to find that the cottage had a large chicken coop. There had been many animals on the castle grounds, but Snow had always been fascinated by the funny little birds, and had often gone down to the coop to help their young maid, Sarah, collect the eggs or just to watch them walk around and peck at their food.

"Hello," Snow whispered, as she peered through the door. The hens were obviously used to people and Snow sat on the ground holding one of the chickens in her lap and stroking its soft feathers.

Suddenly the door began to creak open and Snow looked around in panic. Putting the chicken down, she jumped to her feet and searched for anywhere to run or hide. Lacking any other options, Snow ran quietly to stand behind the door, praying that whoever it was was only opening the door to check on the hens.

To Snow's dismay, the stranger came inside and shut the door before walking over to the chickens. Snow glanced at the door, wondering if she could escape through it before she could be caught, but before she had fully formulated a plan, she heard a shriek.

Snow yelled out, turning back towards the stranger and throwing her hands into the air in panic. "I'm sorry!" she cried. "I'm sorry! I wasn't hurting them or stealing anything, I swear!"

To Snow's surprise, the stranger who moved closer to her was another little girl, not much older than herself, in a bright red cloak.

"I believe you," she said with a smile, but then she frowned at Snow. "Why are you wearing a nightgown?"

Snow looked down at her own attire in surprise. She hadn't considered quite how ridiculous she must look.

"I. . .uh. . .it's complicated," Snow explained quietly.

The other girl looked curious, but didn't push for answers. "I'm Red."

"I'm Sn-" Snow stopped. She knew they were on the run and that they had to be careful. Regina had warned her that they couldn't be sure whom to trust and, as nice as Red seemed, Snow decided it was best not to reveal her true name.

"Mary. . .uh. . .Margaret. . .um. . .Mary Margaret."

Red smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you, Mary Margaret."

"It's nice to meet you too."

"Where are your parents?"

Snow looked worried. "Oh. . .um. . .I don't have any."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ruby said sympathetically. "I don't have parents either. I live with my Granny. Whom do you live with?"

"Well, it's Regina and Daniel that are looking after me," Snow explained, relieved to finally have a question she could answer.

"Where are they?"

Snow gestured with her hand. "In the barn up the hill."

Ruby looked surprised. "Why are they there?"

"We needed somewhere warm to sleep," Snow replied.

"Oh," Ruby looked confused but then she smiled again. "Do you want some breakfast? My Granny's a great cook! You can bring Regina and Daniel, too."

Snow nodded happily and the two girls ran up the hill to the barn.

As Snow and Ruby talked, Regina began to slowly wake up. She smiled as she saw Daniel sleeping beside her. 'It might just be worth all of this worry to wake up to this view everyday,' she thought happily as she rolled over. As she did so, she realised that Snow was missing, and her happiness evaporated immediately, to be replaced by dread.

"Daniel! Daniel!" She called frantically, shaking the man.

"Huh. . .uh. . .what?" Daniel mumbled, as he was unceremoniously jolted awake.

"Snow's missing!"

This woke Daniel up quickly and, within seconds, the two were going from stall to stall softly calling Snow's name. By the time Regina ventured outside, she was terrified. Her mind kept thinking of increasingly horrific scenarios for what could possibly have happened to the little girl.

"Regina!"

Hearing her name called out, Regina turned to see Snow hurtling up the hill toward her, and Regina ran to meet the young girl and swept her into her arms.

"Oh Snow!" Regina exclaimed.

Putting the girl down, seeing that she was unharmed, Regina's earlier fear was replaced by anger. "What were you thinking, young lady? Wandering off like that by yourself? You've had us out of our minds with worry!"

"I'm sorry, Regina," Snow said quickly. "I just went to see the chickens and look, this is my friend, Red!"

Regina's eyes moved to the other small girl whom she hadn't noticed before.

"Hello," Red said brightly. "Mary Margaret's telling the truth, she was only looking at the chickens."

"Mary-? Oh, of course. Well, thank you Red."

"Red said we can go to her Granny's house for breakfast. Can we go, Regina? Can we? Please?"

"No," Regina said quickly. "That's very sweet of you dear, but we can't intrude like that."

Snow looked crestfallen. "Regina! Please! She said it's alright."

Regina looked worriedly at the two girls. She knew they couldn't barge into someone's house for breakfast, but she hadn't seen Snow looking so happy in days and she knew the child needed a decent meal. Regina sighed. She hated the idea of begging, but they had little option and, as Daniel had said, it was likely the woman would take pity on Snow.

"You'll have to check with your Granny first," Regina conceded eventually.

Red nodded excitedly. "My house is that one there," she told them, pointing. "I'll come out and wave if she says it's okay."

Red ran quickly down the hill and Regina turned to the barn. "Daniel? She's here."

Daniel came hurrying out and wrapped Snow in a huge hug. "Oh, thank the gods! I was so worried." He pulled back and held Snow's shoulders. "What happened?"

"She went to see the chickens," Regina informed him, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow disapprovingly. Snow looked sheepishly down at her feet.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"At least you're alright," Daniel said with a smile and pulled Snow into another hug.

"Snow made a friend as well; a little girl named Red. She's gone to ask her Granny if the three of us can have breakfast with them."

"Regina!" Daniel exclaimed. "We can't beg breakfast from the villagers. We're in no state to go to anyone's house anyway!"

"I did not beg, I was invited," Regina argued indignantly, and Daniel threw up his hands in frustration.

"By a child!"

"Snow needs a decent meal, Daniel!" Regina countered. "I don't like it any more than you do, but we don't have much choice. Besides, you were more than willing to beg for beds from them last night."

Daniel sighed, realising that Regina had a fair point.

"Snow was very clever," Regina continued. "She told Red her name was Mary Margaret."

"Mary Margaret? That's pretty." He ruffled Snow's hair. "Good girl. Regina's right; that was clever."

Snow beamed at the praise.

"What did you tell her about us?" Regina asked suddenly.

"That I have no parents and you're looking after me."

Daniel looked at Regina and she nodded. "That will work. I can say I was a friend of her mother's."

"Look! Look!" Snow cried suddenly in glee. "Look! It's okay for us to go to breakfast!"

Snow pointed down the hill, and Regina and Daniel turned to see a red-cloaked figure waving manically.

"Okay then," Daniel said, taking Snow's hand and wrapping his other arm around Regina's shoulders. "Let's go have breakfast at Granny's"


	5. Fight for what You Want

Henry held in a sigh as his wife stormed up and down the ballroom, ranting and raving. It had been the same for days. Ever since Regina, Daniel, and the little Princess Snow had disappeared, Cora screamed and cursed them, and stopping only to sleep and eat and she often forgot to do even that.

"And you have been no help whatsoever, you bumbling buffoon!"

Henry was pulled out of his thoughts by his wife's shrill screech, and he visibly winced.

"I'm sorry, dear," he apologised hurriedly. "What can I do?"

Cora threw up her hands in frustration. "Nothing, you stupid man! Nothing! If I can't find them, there's no way that you will!"

Saying this, Cora flounced out of the room, while Henry rested his head in his hands in relief.

"Trouble in paradise, dearie?"

Henry jumped violently at the mocking voice that came from behind him. He whirled around, terror on his face.

"The. . .the. . .the Dark One!" He stuttered in fear.

"The one and only!" Rumpelstiltskin giggled and took a small bow.

"What do. . .do you want?"

"Well now, dearie, the question is not so much what I want, but what you want."

"Me?" Henry questioned uneasily. "I want nothing from you."

"Oh, I think you'll find you do." Rumpelstiltskin moved closer, a grin on his face. "Think about it. What is your heart's desire? The thing you want most? The one thing you are most terrified will be destroyed?"

"I. . .I don't know."

"Think!"

Henry gulped and tried to steady his breathing. "Re-Regina's happiness."

"Ah, bingo! There we are, dearie. You want darling daughter to have her happily ever after. How sweet. I hear your wife has all the kingdom's guard out hunting her down." Henry grimaced. "Yes. She does."

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. That does spell trouble for poor little Regina now, doesn't it? Tell me dearie, what would you be willing to do to protect her?"

Henry faltered for a moment as he looked at the menacing creature. "Anything," he eventually replied.

Rumpelstiltskin clapped his hands and giggled with glee. "Well, that is very good because I can assure your daughter, and her friends, the protection that you so desire. There are not many strong enough to best Cora, but I just so happen to be one of them. I taught your wife everything she knows. My magic is a thousand times more powerful than what she could ever dream of."

"Why?" Henry asked. "Why would you protect Regina?"

"Oh, well, your daughter's continued survival will be rather useful to me later on, but, you see, magic always comes with a price, and I am willing to make a deal with you. I will protect Regina with magic, if you will do something for me in return."

"What could the Dark One possibly want from me?"

"Oh, it's quite simple really," Rumpelstiltskin informed him with a sinister smile. "I simply need you to convince your wife of one or two things."

"Convince. . .? You want me to manipulate Cora for you? I. . .I can't."

"You can't?"

"No," Henry said nervously. "I have never been able to deceive or manipulate Cora! She'd know in an instant!"

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head and sighed. "Such a shame, such a shame. I suppose poor Regina will just have to suffer her mother's wrath."

He turned to go, but Henry yelled out to stop him. "No! Wait! Please! You don't know what Cora's like! You have to protect Regina! You have to!"

"I have to?" Rumpelstiltskin asked scornfully. "I assure you, Your Highness, that I am under no obligation to protect your little brat. You said that you'd do anything to save her, but if your fear of your wife is greater than your love for your daughter, well. . . A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets."

"No! I want nothing more than Regina's happiness," Henry said with more conviction in his voice than he'd imagined he could muster. "Tell. . .tell me what you want me to say." Some of the determination left the man's voice as he imagined trying to lie to his wife, but he would do it. He had never been able to protect Regina from Cora, but now, now when there was so much more at stake than there had ever been before, he would do it.

Rumpelstiltskin smirked as he turned around. He had always been able to recognise a desperate soul. "Oh, it's really quite simple," he assured Henry with a shrill giggle.

* "Be gone with you!" Cora snapped, flinging her arm toward the door and sending the unfortunate soldiers, elected to inform her of their continued failure, scampering for the exit.

"Cor. . .Cora?" Henry stuttered, still not quite believing what he was about to do.

"What?" she exclaimed furiously as she spun to face him.

"Uh. . .uh. . ." Henry forced himself to think of his beloved daughter as he tried to compose himself. "Cora, I was thinking, perhaps there is another way for you to become powerful, even if Regina is not found."

"I will find her! If I have to hunt her down for a millennia, I will find that girl!"

"But Cora, darling. Regina was going to become the Queen because of Leopold. With Leopold gone. . ."

"I will find something else!" Cora snapped.

"But Cora," Henry pleaded, terrified now that she would not listen to him. "Cora, the King's only daughter was Snow White and now she, the only heir to the throne of this kingdom, is gone. The people are clamouring for a leader. The kingdom is in disarray, but you. . . Perhaps the palace could be convinced to crown you."

"Me?" Cora asked suspiciously. The plan had always been to get her daughter on the throne and to pull the puppet strings, as she was so apt at doing. She hadn't considered being the Queen herself. It was so much easier to be powerful behind the scenes, where she could do as she wished, but all the blame would be laid on Regina. With her daughter gone though, if it were possible that she could be the queen. . . "You believe they would accept me as Queen?"

"I am of royal blood, and you know that my brother's kingdom is friendly with this one. Nevertheless, they would not accept me as a king, but you are of this kingdom and you are powerful. With no heir to the throne, you could lead this kingdom as its Queen. You could have power of your own, not power through our daughter."

Cora considered this for a moment, and her face broke out into a smile. "Summon our carriages. We are going to the palace and I am going to be Queen."

Henry made for the door quickly, astounded and relieved that he appeared to have succeeded.

"Oh, and Henry?"

Henry turned back around to face his wife. The delight at her potential power was still gleaming in her eyes, but her face had twisted back into the sour disgust to which he was accustomed.

"Call on our most loyal guards. Tell them they are in charge of our other guards, and the king's army. Instruct them to continue the search, but. . ."

"Cora! Why? If you are to be Queen, what use do you have of Regina?"

"Why none, of course," she agreed, genuine confusion on her face. "But she will not defy me without consequence, and the little brat she has with her could challenge my claim to throne as soon as she comes of age. Tell the guards their orders have changed. They are to hunt them down and kill all three of them."

Henry gulped and paled. "As. . .as you wish, my love." He exited the ballroom, praying to all the gods that he had done enough for Rumpelstiltskin to hold up his end of the bargain.

"You did well," a menacing voice proclaimed from behind him. "She was as excited by the prospect as I had hoped."

"Why do you want this? Cora will not be a good queen. She doesn't care about the people."

"And, of course, the people are the Dark One's primary concern? I want Cora on that throne. My reasons do not concern you."

"But you will protect Regina?"

"I gave you my word, and I never break a deal," Rumpelstiltskin assured him. "Neither Cora, nor anyone working for her, will ever find Regina or her companions."

Saying this, Rumpelstiltskin disappeared. Henry, relief coursing through him, hurried to prepare the carriages that would bring him and his wife to the palace.


End file.
